True Strength
by DreamStar14
Summary: Antonio and Emily were the only ones left. One day, the others just…disappeared. What happened to them? Emily has a plan to bring them back. Will it succeed? But most importantly, what is her plan? AU stemming off from He Ain't Heavy Metal, He's My Brother. No pairings, just tight bonds of pure friendship.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

A/N: I've been thinking about doing this story for a while now. I guess it's finally up!

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: Samurai, just the plot.

Note: There will be no pairings in here, just friendship and a bit of fluff. Yeah, it's one of those team-bonding stories. So, enjoy!

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

True Strength

Chapter 1: Prologue

Emily glanced at the clock for the tenth time. She then realized that if she wanted to go to Terry and Antonio's concert, she needed to leave now.

But what if the others returned in her absence?

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Picking up her purse, she let out a deep sigh and slowly strolled towards the front door, not bothering to tell Jii where she was going. He already knew.

As Emily listened to the song that Antonio and Terry had dubbed "Everyday Fun", tears came to her eyes.

That Nighlock, Serrator, hit all four of them with a hard enough blow to the head to knock them each out, causing them to de-morph along the way. Before Antonio and Emily could do him justice, Serrator, who explained that he had poisoned them, but not with Sanzu River water, had already retreated back to the Netherworld. After knocking out the Giant Moogers, they both saw that the others had disappeared in a very mysterious manner. Knowing that it was sunset, thus searching for them was pointless, Antonio had practically carried a worried-sick Emily back to the Shiba House to rest up and recuperate.

Now, here she was, all alone. She and Antonio were the only ones left.

Emily raced backstage as soon as the concert ended. She saw a Hispanic teenage guy, putting his fish-shaped guitar back in its case.

"Antonio!"

Said Gold Ranger turned to see Emily running toward him, tears littering her eyes and obscuring her vision. Antonio felt Emily hug him tightly, as if afraid that he would disappear too. He placed a calm, gentle, yet firm hand on her back, trying to comfort her more than himself, which was proving to be hard.

This had both hit them pretty hard. Emily just showed it more openly than he did.

"Shh…it's okay, _amiga_. I won't leave," he muttered, calling her "amiga", his friend, for the first time in his life. He usually called her "chica", but after today, he never would.

The two were interrupted by the sound of footsteps walking towards them.

It was Terry, the last person they wanted to face right now.

"Where's Mia?" was the first thing he asked, and he proved them right.

Antonio and Emily shared a look before Emily turned back to Terry. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Antonio noticed this.

"Mia and the others were attacked by a Nighlock and they just disappeared," Antonio said for her. "We have no idea where they are or where they went."

Terry's face visibly fell. It was obvious that he sad. "Oh…it any of them show up on my end, I'll let you know right away."

Emily nodded gratefully and gave Terry a big, comforting hug. He hugged her back, unable to hold back his tears. He cried into her shoulder and she into his.

As the two Rangers left-behind were training that next morning, Emily's eyes lit up.

"Antonio."

"Yeah?" He asked stretching and trying to crack his back.

"I have an idea on how to get the others back, but I'm going to need your help," she stated, fire that was determination returning to her hazel eyes. "And Mentor's."

"What is it?"

"We're going to need the Black Box too."

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: Well? What do you think of it, so far? I picked the episode "He Ain't Heavy Metal, He's My Brother", because I really like that episode (lots of Jemily background fluff in it), but also because, it marks the point where Jayden, Kevin, Mike, and Mia have all used the Black Box, and Emily is the only one who hasn't, not yet. My theory on Emily in that episode is that, once she realizes that she's the only one who hasn't earned the Black Box yet, she pushes herself and trains harder so that one day, she can be as good as the others. :) I seriously feel that Emily feels left out sometimes. I know Mike only used to Black Box once too, but it took him three episodes for him to get to use, not to mention he got to use the Shark Disk too, two episodes for Kevin (who used it a total of four times), seven episodes for Mia (who used it twice), Lauren only appeared for the last five episodes but used it twice as well, Jayden uses it the most (a total of thirteen times), but how about Emily?

Ten whole episodes and only once! That's what I hate. I hate that so much! That's kinda why I really like the Strange Case of the Munchies, because it's all about Emily, and I happily cheer when Jayden finally throws her the Black Box, which she definitely deserves.

Also, I have no idea if Lauren will appear in this one or not. I'm still brainstorming about the later chapters.

Anyways, sorry for my little rant. Any questions? Feel free to ask. I understand if you are confused. It's just a prologue.


	2. Chapter 2: Changes

A/N: I'm surprised no one has asked me about Emily's plan with the Black Box yet. Whether you guys are curious or not, it's explained in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: Samurai, just the plot.

Note: There will be no pairings in here, just friendship and a bit of fluff (Jemily and Kia). Antonio and Emily fluff will only be sibling-like in this one. Yeah, it's one of those team-bonding stories. So, enjoy!

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

True Strength

Chapter 2: Changes

Emily's hazel eyes opened with a start. Memories of that first week, especially the day it happened, haunted her every night. Every morning when she woke up, she always prayed that that day was just a nightmare, than it wasn't real, but every morning, she was proved that it was reality and that she had to get used to it.

Emily walked into the kitchen after getting dressed right as Jii placed breakfast on the table, where Antonio already sat.

Things had changed in the past fifteen months. During that time, they had defeated of number of Nighlocks by themselves.

Antonio had grown as great a Samurai as Kevin and Jayden, not to mention he was the creative mind of the group now, Mike's job. He had also taken of Mia's job of cooking everyone meals to cheer them up, mainly Emily. He had also started wearing a handmade scarf that contained all green and pink, not gold, nothing but green and pink, all in the honor and memory of Mia and Mike. He was Emily's guard now, her control. He was there to make sure she didn't overwork herself, to make sure she didn't pass out, to carry her home when she did. All of this hard work was taking its toll on her. "That's why they have teams of Samurai," Jii had said once, "and not just one fighting alone." He had also taken on the job of piloting the Turtle-Zord, the Bear-Zord, and the Beetle-Zord, Mike and Mia's Zords. Needless to say, he was becoming a better, more behaved Samurai now that others had forced this upon him. But his main duty was to Emily.

His feelings for her as a little sister never wavered, but their bond did get stronger as the days passed on.

Looking at her, Antonio had noticed that Emily was less bubbly and cheerful and she rarely smiled anymore. She did smile once in a while, but fifteen months with her alone made you realize which of her smiles was fake (all of them) and which ones were real (none of them). She had taken on Kevin's job as embodying the Samurai life and sense of duty, and also being the serious one usually. She had also taken on Jayden's job as the leader and fiery-tempered one. She was still kind and gentle, but she was in pain, and Antonio couldn't do anything about it, because he wasn't the cause of it. Serrator was. The Zords she had volunteered to control were the Lion-Zord, the Dragon-Zord, the Bull-Zord, the Swordfish-Zord, and the Tiger-Zord, Jayden and Kevin's Zords. She had started wearing more blue in her outfits, again in Kevin's honor, and she had started wearing one of Jayden's black denim jackets. She never took it off.

He constantly worried about her and sometimes lost faith and wondered if her plan was ever going to work. Every time he said this out loud, she would always kindly tell him to keep hoping that everything would eventually work out. She may not kept her happiness, but she was still optimistic.

Jii still had his job as their Mentor, their medic, and the housekeeper, but he now helped the two anyway that he could, even if it was coming out directly to the field and giving them emergency medical treatment. He, Daisuke, and Cody and his family also tried to create new Power Disks and weapons for them. Cody had made the Bullzooka, and gave it to them right away so they could test it out and see if they could use it. After Emily defeated a whole army of Moogers with it in one go, both Rangers and their Mentor declared it usable.

Cody's father had also played a part by informing them about the Samurai Gigazord, which they hadn't used yet, as they were still planning on how it would all work out. Kevin was the expert when it came to Megazord combinations.

Daisuke, the Gate Keeper, had given them the best help they needed. He gave them them more information on the Black Box and what damage Emily's plan would do to it and to her.

Emily's plan consisted of the Black Box, Antonio's techno-lingo knowledge, Jii's knowledge of symbols, and her own Symbol Power. The others had all used the Black Box at least once. Emily had Antonio program the thing to emit non-harmful waves every time she used it. It was extremely risky, according to Daisuke, yes, but so far, there was no damage. Not yet.

Since Jayden had used in the most, a total of four times, it was highly possible that he would come back first, then Kevin, since he used it next, then Mike, and finally Mia.

In short, she was using the Black Box as a calling beacon.

A buss from the Gap Sensor interrupted their thoughts.

The Yellow Ranger attacked the Mooger army from behind. They didn't even see it coming.

The Gold Ranger used the Lightzord to block the Mooger's attacks and used the Lightzord's own personal sword to attack.

The particular Mooger attack occured at a park, which was pretty packed with innocent, little kids, and protective adults alike to all wanted to see the two Power Rangers in action. Telling them _all_ to run away was, ahem, quite useless.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emily caught a glimpse of a very familiar brunette somewhere in the crowd. Shaking her head, she focused on the group of Moogers attacking a familiar African male. She swung her Spin Sword with all her might, thinking of Jayden and Kevin.

"Remember, Moogers," she said, angrily, "you need to play…nice!"

All the Moogers in her half of the army were destroyed in a single, circular slash of yellow.

Antonio struck down all of the Moogers attacking a familiar Asian female and a familiar Hispanic male. Antonio thought, _'That can't be Mike and Mia.'_

"It's time for you Moogers to go home!" Antonio said, the remaining half of the army destroyed with multiple slashes of gold.

Emily paused for a moment before sheathing her sword. She turned to the two guys she realized were familiar. The brunette was checking to see if the African male was okay. They both seemed a bit shaken up. Noticing this right away, Emily, still morphed, picked up her pace.

The two males looked up and saw the Yellow Ranger, a female, and both blushed at being introduced to, even she was wearing a helmet, a girl who seemed very pretty.

"Hey, my partner, Gold, over there and I were wondering if you two were okay. You guys look like you've seen a ghost," Yellow said.

The African male replied, "Yeah, at least, I am. Thank you for defending my friend and I here." The brunette nodded.

Underneath her helmet, Emily smiled her first real smile in practically a year. It had been a while since she got a thank you for her work, at least, from someone besides Jii.

"You're welcome. Honestly, it was nothing. What are your names?"

She knew it was random, but she had to know. It was bugging her even since she saw them.

"I'm Kevin," the African male said.

"Jayden," said the brunette.

Emily could swear that her entire world had stopped in that one moment.

They were back! But they didn't morph or fight and they were shaken up by a mere Mooger attack.

They had amnesia…

The felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Antonio, still morphed.

"Ready to go, amiga?" He asked. Emily wordlessly nodded, feeling tears come to her eyes.

She bowed slightly to Jayden and Kevin, then she turned to leave with Antonio.

Back at the Shiba House, Antonio and Emily were sitting in the kitchen, while Jii paced in front of them.

"You saw Jayden and Kevin in the park?" Emily nodded. "Why didn't they morph?"

"We have their Samuraizers, remember?" Antonio replied. "They couldn't morph even if they wanted to."

"And they were trembling with fear from just a Mooger," Emily pointed out, tears littering her eyes. "They have amnesia. They probably didn't even know they were Power Rangers."

Antonio reached out and rubbed her back in a comforting older brother manner.

"I also saw Mike and Mia there too. They seemed to be in the same position," Antonio said.

"We need to get them all back here as soon as possible," Jii stated. "In the meantime, it's Emily's turn to get the groceries."

Emily nodded, not saying a single word.

Emily was in the pasta, trying to find some bowtie pasta for Jii's special pasta dish, which, by the way, excellent. She found it, but she also found something.

She found that the air around her was getting pretty thin. She tried to take a deep breath, but she lost her balance and fell backwards, her world going dark.

She expected to hit the floor, but she never did. Strong arms had wrapped around her and she felt a sharp, yet short pressure on her neck. She knew that technique. It was the Shiba Clan way of waking someone who had just fainted up. She had felt it before when she had nearly fainted at practice a long time ago from dehydration, not just once, but nearly eleven times. It was when she first met the team, and she was so determined to be as good as the others, but she guessed that she never drank enough water or she pushed herself a little too far.

Anyways, she opened her hazel eyes staring into the blue eyes of Jayden Shiba.

"Are you okay?" Emily nodded, mentally noting that it felt good to hear his voice again.

She never really told anyone this, but she had fallen for Jayden. He was just so sweet, so kind, so protective, everything Emily wanted in a guy. Antonio knew, as did Jii, but not really anyone else. After the disappearance act, Emily discovered that it was more than a crush. It was real.

"Thank you…" she quietly muttered. He nodded, letting her just sit there and get her act together and her strength back. "What happened?"

"You collapsed," he said. "You haven't been out for very long, just ten to fifteen seconds." She nodded again and pondered on this. "Listen, I can't help but think I know you from somewhere."

Emily snapped her head up. Se saw Jayden holding his head, as if he had a headache. He looked into her eyes and breathed out one word.

"Emily."

Emily felt a real smile come back to her face. "Yes, that's me."

"Emily, Samurai Ranger Yellow of Earth, age 16, you have an older sister who is ill, and you…are one of my teammates…"

Emily nodded again, "17-going-on-18 actually. It's been a little over a year. And do you remember with color you are?"

"Of course," Jayden replied, massaging his temples. "I'm the big Red himself. And has it really been that long?" Emily nodded, her smile never wavering. "Wow, that would make me…"

"19," she answered, "almost 20."

He gently smiled at her, like he would always do whenever he was proud of her.

"Would you like to go home and get some ice for your head?" Emily asked, noticing that Jayden's head must really hurt right now.

"Frozen peas, I believe, would be better."

Emily gave a short laugh, her smile growing wider, if it were even possible right now, and Jayden noticed a single fall from her eye. Subconciously, he reached up slowly and wiped it away.

Emily blinked tearfully, not minding that action at all, just surprised. She then gave him a surprise hug, saying, "You're back, you're really back," over and over again.

He rubbed her back and he returned the hug, saying, "It's okay, Em. I'm home." He couldn't help but notice that it really did feel like home when he called her by her old nickname. "I hate to say it, but I can't remember all of the times we shared together, but I do know who you are."

Emily paused upon hearing this, but she merely smiled and said, "That's okay. Just come back home with me."

After getting the rest of the groceries, Jayden happily, placidly complied.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: Well? What do you think of it, so far? Any questions? Feel free to ask.

Jayden's back! Anyone else happy like I am?!


	3. Chapter 3: Come Back

A/N: How about quick recap of the previous chapter? Fifteen months ago, the others mysteriously disappeared by the work of the evil Nighlock Serrator. Now they have shown their faces again and later that day Emily finds Jayden, who remembers Emily, but only vaguely. Emily brings him home, but also wonders why she passed out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: Samurai, just the plot.

Note: There will be no pairings in here, just friendship and a bit of fluff (Jemily and Kia). Antonio and Emily fluff will only be sibling-like in this one. Yeah, it's one of those team-bonding stories. So, enjoy!

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

True Strength

Chapter 3: Come Back

Jayden's facial expression read pure contentment and happiness as he and Emily approached the front gate of the Shiba House. He smiled and the old, familiar sight.

"It's s good to be home," he said, making Emily smile back at him.

"It's so good to have you home," she replied.

Jayden noticed her wearing one of his jackets. He wanted to ask her about it, to get a straight answer out of her, wanting to know why she was wearing his jacket, but he decided not to say anything. He would ask her about it later. He didn't want to ruin her happiness right now.

At least he was back here with her.

Two other people entered the front yard training area through the front door. Jayden's smile got wider when he remembered who they were.

"Antonio!" The Hispanic male raced to his old friend and gave him as big a hug as Emily's.

"Amigo! You are back!" Antonio couldn't help but say. "I missed you!" And he really did. He had to stay strong for Emily, so he couldn't cry in front of her. Right now, tears were somewhat close to forming as they spoke.

"I missed you too, buddy," Jayden said, returning the hug. He looked up to see his father-figure. "Jii," he breathed. For the first time in a long time, Jii got to hug Jayden again.

They reunited with such emotion that Emily vaguely felt tears flow down her face.

"What's going on?" Jayden asked. All three of them froze. No one wanted to answer that question. "Where are the others?" They didn't want to answer that question either. Jayden noticed their discomfort, and he got suspicious. "What's up, guys? Is the situation really that bad?"

Antonio nodded wordlessly as Emily spoke, "Yeah. Listen, it's been fifteen months since we last saw you and the others. Do you remember Terry's concert?"

Jayden dug in his mind, his memory space, trying to see if he could find a memory of even talking about a concert with a boy named Terry.

*Flashback*

"You're Mia's brother!" Mike had his hands placed on Terry's shoulders as he, Emily, and Jayden led to boy inside the House.

Terry laughed. "Yep. All my life." As soon as he saw the inside of the House, he became overawed.

"Well, welcome to the Shiba House," Mike said.

"Woah, this is cool," Terry said, admiring the decorations. "So, where is my sis anyways?"

Emily spoke up. "Oh, she went with Kevin to get some groceries."

Terry's face read pure horror. "You're not going to let her cook, are you?"

The three rangers laughed. "No, we've pretty much learned that lesson," Mike said, as Terry picked up a wooden blade. He held it up, admiring the feel of it.

"Sis is good with a blade, as long as it's not a kitchen knife."

Mike and Emily laughed, nodding, knowing that this was true.

"So what brings you to town, Terry?" Jayden asked.

"Oh, I'm volunteering at the Children's Hospital over summer break. My parents think it would help me get into Med School down the road," Terry answered.

"And is there a high demand for guitar-playing doctors?" Mike asked.

Terry looked over at his guitar and realized what Mike was asking. "Oh, this? No, I'm also trying to put together a concert gig. I was hoping Mia would sing with me."

Emily gasped happily. "Mia sings?!"

"Yeah," Terry said, realizing that these were good friends for his older sister. "She's awesome. When we were kids, we were going to be the world's greatest band…"

*End Flashback*

His head hurt a lot now. "Em, I think I'll have that ice pack now." Emily noticed the pain evident in his voice tone and understood. She nodded and raced back into the house.

"Why don't we all go inside?" Jii suggested, his voice holding a tone of gentleness that hadn't existed for nearly fifteen months. During the first month, he used it all the time with Emily, trying to help her get used to the new arrangement. But during the second month, he started using it less and less, noticing that Emily was building up her courage and self-esteem and no longer needed sympathy. She needed support.

Right as Jayden sat down on a chair in the living room, not having the energy to look up and take in the familiar surroundings, Emily came back a bag of frozen peas and a tray of hot tea. She set it down on the table and grabbed the ice pack, letting the others get their tea when they wanted it. She placed the ice-cold bag against his head, and he instantly felt better. Not by a whole lot, but enough to get him to focus again.

"Whenever you remember something, you get a headache," Antonio guessed. And guess what?

"Yeah, pretty much," Jayden said. "And to answer your question, Em, yes, I do remember Terry and him mentioning a concert."

Her smile was gone, but that was only to people who didn't know her that well. She was smiling, but it was small. "Well, we did get the tickets. At least, Terry handed them to me and I passed them out to you guys. Remember that?"

"Yeah…"

"Anything after that?" Antonio asked, getting where Emily was going with this.

Jayden thought for a minute. "Serrator," he said firmly. "I only remember our fight against Serrator. That's it. I don't recall anything else."

"We understand," Jii said. "I'm going to fix dinner. Antonio, Emily, why don't you two help Jayden get settled in?"

The two Rangers nodded.

It had been two weeks. Jayden had improved and was currently on his way to being the Red Ranger once more. Right now, he was sparring against Emily, who he noticed had gotten a lot stronger since the last time they saw each other.

He attacked, she parried, then she snuck a blow on him from behind, a trick that he taught her, but he quickly recovered and attacked once more. She pressed her sword against his, panting slightly.

"You're getting better, Jay," Emily commented, slightly smirking.

"And you've gotten just as good as me," he replied, returning her smile. "Great job, Em."

Her smile got bigger, as did her strength. She shoved him off of her and it took quite a while for him to stabilize.

The cycle continued on.

The fight ended in a draw.

Jii smiled at his students' hard work and Antonio was standing next to him, ready to spar with either one of them.

"Fantastico!" Antonio commented.

"Fantastic indeed," Jii said, holding out the Lion Zord. "Spar with Antonio next." Jayden nodded as Emily held out her bamboo sword. Antonio took it with pride.

"It's my turn," Antonio, happy to be sparing with his buddy again. As they staring sparring, Emily felt the air around her thin once more.

Jii noticed her stumble all the way over to the side where he was. He kneeled down to her level as she sat down on the ledge. "Emily, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She did not look up and it took her a while to respond. But when she did, her voice sounded tired, weary, completely exhausted, and not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. "Y-Yeah…"

He didn't buy it. "Are they injuries from your fight with Jayden?" They, unknowingly, bought the said Ranger's attention, along with Antonio.

Emily shook her head. "No, I guess I just didn't get enough sleep last night." Two shadows fell over her, causing her to look up into Jayden and Antonio's watchful and worried eyes.

"I didn't hit you too hard, did I?" Jayden asked, taking a seat beside her.

Emily slowly shook her head, and she looked into his eyes. "No, it's wasn't you. I probably didn't sleep well last night, that's all." His worry was cute, and she liked it, but she didn't want to think that anything was wrong with her.

Antonio, however, knew what was going on. As Jayden rubbed small circles into her back, his mind went back to Daisuke, his lecture, and his warnings about Emily's plan with the Black Box. What the old gatekeeper was talking about…could it be happening right now?

"Sorry, is this a bad time?"

All four heads whirled to see who had said that. At the front gate, stood yet another one of their teammates.

"Kevin!" Jayden said, his face lighting up.

The Blue Ranger stood there at the front gate as Emily stood up, slowly but surely, and ran to give her old friend a giant hug.

Kevin returned her smile. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm back…I can't believe it. I'm back," all while returning her hug.

"Yes, buddy, you are," Jayden said, pridefully. His team was coming back together.

It looked like Emily's plan was working after all.

Three, almost four, weeks later, Jii almost called their vacation day off. Emily had felt faint once again over breakfast. She would have passed out completely had Antonio not been right beside and perform the Shiba Clan wake-up technique right then and there. Jii felt her forehead for a temperature, and after finding none, he got confused. Antonio whispered something in the Mentor's ear and the old man's facial expression softened. Emily was so fortunate that Jayden and Kevin were still getting dressed. After some pressuring, Emily had successfully convinced Jii to let them continue their day off.

Emily secretly wondered what Antonio had told Mentor.

She brushed it off. It was their day off, after all. They were going to Rainbow's End again. Emily had suggested it, actually. She wanted to see if it would unlock some memories.

They were at the old familiar amusement and they were all playing the game "Do you remember when?" with each other while eating ice cream. Emily smiled. This was working. Kevin and Jayden were remembering things about their old lives.

Antonio suddenly bumped into someone, hard.

"Antonio, are you okay?" Kevin asked, while Emily ran to the stranger to help him up.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked him. She looked into his face, into his eyes and she lightly gasped. "Mike!"

"Yeah, yeah, Em, I'm fine," Mike said. He paused. "Wait…Emily!"

She smiled wide and gave him a big hug, just like the others. "We got another one back!" She exclaimed.

Jayden went over to him and held out his fist. "Hey, Mike."

Mike looked up at his leader and returned the fist bump. "Hey, dude. Nice to see you again." Kevin held out his hand. Mike took it and Kevin and Jayden helped him up.

"Hey, man," Antonio said, getting up by himself. "Sorry about that." Yet, he was smiling. Another teammate was back. Not only that, but he could also relief himself of the burden that was called controlling Mike's zords.

"No sweat," Mike said. "You guys mind if I walk with you?"

Neither one of them said no.

It had been two weeks, almost three since Mike returned. The boys surprised Emily this morning by disabling her alarm. A note on her bedside said: "Don't worry about training today. You've worked hard enough over these past seventeen months. Sleep in and enjoy your day! Signed Jayden, Antonio, Kevin, and Mike." Emily giggled and looked at her clock. It was 11: 45 AM. She had slept in that long? It sure seemed like it.

She swung her feet over the side of her bed. She got up to go wash her face and get dressed. But on the way, the air around her thinned and tightened once more and her world went back as the ground came up to meet her very suddenly.

Emily forced herself to open her hazel eyes. She slowly lifted her head up, gazing at her surroundings. She was lying down on her bedroom floor, on her stomach. Trying to gather her remaining strength, she slowly, and painfully lifted herself from the floor and slowly went over to her bed, where she sat upon it immediately and merely sat there, trying to catch her breath. She glanced once more at her clock.

2:35 PM.

She had been out for nearly three hours. Were the others worried about her?

Deciding to save the questions for later, she slowly got up from the bed and walked towards her bathroom once more. She did so cautiously. She didn't want to trip and pass out again on the way there.

Once she got dressed and washed her face a couple of times with ice cold water to wake her up and rid herself of her fatigue and weariness, she joined Jii in the kitchen.

"Oh, Emily," Jii exclaimed as she said down. He poured her a cup of hot tea, "You're awake. I was about to go and check on you."

"Really?" When Jii nodded, she was gratefully that she had woken up when she did.

"I was going to check on you because I have some good news." Emily looked up this, taking a sip of her tea. "Terry just called. He said that Mia had come back to the house and asked if her arrow came yet. Her parents were confused, but Terry knew what was going on and he called me to let me know that he's bringing Mia over sometime tomorrow."

Emily smiled happily.

Mia was coming home. Now they would be a full team again.

But if everything was going to work out in the end, then why did she feel so weak right now?

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: Well? What do you think of it, so far? Any questions? Feel free to ask.

_Did anyone notice a certain pattern here? Like what happens to Emily whenever one of her teammates remembers being a Ranger and comes back? Did you catch the fact that Emily passes out and/or feel faint before one of her teammates remembers her and comes back? It happened with Jayden, so it's only natural that it would happen with Kevin, Mia, and Mike._

_**Major Question: What is wrong with Emily?**_


	4. Chapter 4: Bad News

A/N: How about quick recap of the previous chapters?

Fifteen months ago, the others mysteriously disappeared by the world of the evil Nighlock, Serrator. After a few rough months of being an incomplete team, Mia has finally come back. Now with the team all in order once again, how will the others react to Emily's plan and who takes the blame for it? Or is there any blame at all?

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: Samurai, just the plot.

Note: There will be no pairings in here, just friendship and a bit of fluff (Jemily and Kia). Antonio and Emily fluff will only be sibling-like in this one. Yeah, it's one of those team-bonding stories. So, enjoy!

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

True Strength

Chapter 4: Bad News

Emily paced in front of her sitting teammates the next morning, holding a red Bull Disk. It wasn't anything any one else but Jii and Antonio had seen, so they were curious as to why she had it. Still wearing Jayden's jacket, she refused to speak.

"What are we waiting for?" Mike asked, confused, leaning over to Antonio.

"Mia," Antonio replied. "Emily doesn't like to explain things more than once, you know that, so she's waiting for Mia to show up."

That was when the doorbell shimed.

"I'll get it," Jii said, moving from his standing spot to the door.

When he opened the door, in stepped two Asians, one male and one female. Emily turned to the two and her face broke out into an immediate smile.

"Mia!" She said, practically skipping to the older girl and giving her a hug just as big as those she gave to the guys.

Returning the hug, Mia smiled back. "It's good to see you again, Em. How long have I been gone?"

"Seventeen months," said a voice, which brought their attention to Mia's companion.

"Terry," Emily breathed, also giving him a hug. "Thank you for all your help, Terry."

He nodded, breaking the hug after returning it as well. "No problem. Anything to help you guys. I have to go now. Bye, Sis. See you later, guys."

"Bye, Terry!" They all answered.

"Stay safe, Terry," Mia replied, smiling. He returned the smile before closing the front door behind him.

Emily remembered how hurt Terry was. They had got into a fight about his future and his band and right before they had a chance to make up, his sister was taken from him. She and Antonio had come to his concert, but backstage afterwards, when he asked them where Mia was, Emily couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. She was dealing with so much pain, yes, and even though admitting it out loud would make it seem like reality, she didn't want him to go through any pain either. But she and Antonio, him being the strongest one that day, had no choice. Mia was his sister too, not just Emily's. In fact, he knew her first.

"He cried, you know," Emily said, her voice in a near whisper. The others turned their attention to her, a bit surprised, but also confused. Mia was clearly about to ask Emily what she meant. But Emily spoke up first. "After you disappeared, that very same day, in fact, Antonio and I went to his concert. When we broke the news to him, his face, his eyes…were filled with such guilt, because he never had the chance to make up with you, his dear sister that he loved so much."

Mia seemed a bit speechless during this. "But he still should have focused on his future."

Antonio spoke up this time. He knew that Emily didn't like to talk about the day it happened, especially the concert. "The concert was for charity. For the Children's Hospital."

Mia took one shocked and guilty look at Antonio and then she ran back to the front door and opened it. "Terry!"

Terry looked back from his spot at the front gate, which he was about to exit. "Y-Yeah?"

"Terry, I'm sorry about pressuring you about your concert. You should have told me the concert was for charity."

Terry let out a soft smile before replying, "You didn't ask."

Mia's smile grew. "Love you, Little Brother."

Terry waved, still smiling, "Love you too, Sis."

Mia went back into the house just as Terry exited the Front Gate. Smiling at each of her old friends, she sat between Mike and Kevin, like at the head of a table.

"It's so good to be back," she couldn't help but say. Emily cleared her throat with a pretty loud _'ahem'_. The Rangers focused their attention back on her and she smiled at them, which was gone as soon as it came. This meant that it was time to get down to business. Mia nodded a sorry and motioned at Emily to go on. The younger girl clearly had something important to say.

Emily held up the red Bull Disk that was in her hand. "The Bullzord has the power to combine all of the zords into a Samurai Gigazord."

The others seemed quite surprised and Jayden and Kevin went deep into thought. "But that's some seriously bad mojo," Mike replied. "I mean, there's a reason the Bullzord was buried away for three hundred years." All the others agreed.

"That's why we haven't used it yet," Emily said, unable to suppress a short laugh. "I'm sorry, Mike. That's exactly what Antonio said when we first found out." She breathed in and out calmly and her face visibly relaxed. "There's no doubt it's risky," she continued, rounding the circle on the other side of it. "If not done right, all of the zords could be obliterated."

Jayden and Kevin shared a concerned look with each other.

"But not to worry," Emily went on, placing a hand on Kevin's shoulder and holding the Bull Disk out to him, "I'm sure Kevin can figure it out."

His face read pure shock, but, at the same time, also pride. "R-Really?"

"You _are_ the best at Megazord combinations, Kev," Antonio spoke up, smiling very smugly at the Blue Ranger. "You should be thanking us for the vote of confidence."

Kevin let out a short laugh before answering with, "You're right. Thank you. I'll do my best."

"When do you not?" Emily pointing out the truth, feeling that her bubbly side was returning. Her smile caused a chain reaction to make everyone else smile back at her and at each other.

'_Finally,'_ Antonio thought, relieved that things were finally going back to normal.

~S-A~M-U~R-A~I-~F-O~R-E~V-E~R-

Over the course of the next two weeks, the Rangers had gotten very busy. Emily was the one who oversaw the training sessions now, instead of Jayden. They needed the extra training, not her. Fifteen months of not doing any training made you as weak as a beginner. She had seen it with Jayden. It had taken him a while to get the basics back down, which took him about a week, but once he got the basics again, his abilities re-expanded from there. Now Jayden was as strong as he was when the team first started out. Kevin was nearly the same level, not quite, but he was getting there. Mike was at the level he was on when he first took on Rofer. All he needed was to drill that "sense your enemies attack" back into his head and he was set. Mia was catching on very, very quickly, which was surprising, as she had only been back for two weeks. Emily was impressed at how quickly the others were coming back. She knew that some of their memories returned during practice, because that was when the team really bonded, so Jii had to go into the house several times a day for so many bags of frozen peas, it was not funny.

Some, if not most, of their memories had returned successfully. But there was still so many missing. They all remembered their childhoods (as for Jayden, his lack thereof) and them training to be Power Rangers. Their memories of training together were all back, again because they all trained a lot. But what about those moments they had together outside of training? Like their first day off? When they first met Antonio? When Jayden finally let the others fight beside him on the day he ran away? When they first used the Black Box?

Emily's heart clenched at the thought of the Black Box, not physically, but emotionally.

Jayden had been the first one to use it. With it, he prevailed against Arahcnitor. Emily remembered the entire team, besides Antonio, working extra hard after that, just so they could get to use the Black Box one day.

The next one to use it was Kevin. With it, he cracked Armadeevil's shell for good. She remembered Mike training harder than ever. He really wanted to use that thing.

Next was Mike. Sure she had helped Mike break the curse, but he was the one who really took Switchbeast out. Mia practiced with Kevin, Jayden, and Mike a whole lot more than Emily, her usual sparring partner. Emily secretly took it as an insult, that Mia thought Emily was weak and that she wasn't going to get very far if she continued training with the younger girl. Antonio, fortunately, was there to train with her. At least he actually fought back. It was as if he knew that he would be forgiven quickly if he hurt her harder than he intended.

During their first meeting with Serrator, Jayden used it to attempt to take out Papyrox, even though Antonio had managed to take the monster out with the new Lightzord. The thing between her and Mia became more intense though.

Then, against Eyescar, although Jayden had used the Shark Disk, Emily still counted that as a Power Up, an equivalent to the Black Box. Although Mia was training harder, Emily still waited patiently and trained at the same level as before, believing that if she kept her patience, the Black Box would come to her soon enough.

After that, after Jayden beat Crustor with the Black Box and the Bullzord, Emily mentally bet against Mia that whoever won the Black Box next had to do the other's chores for a month. She really hoped it would be her.

But Mia won. In their second run-in with Serrator, Jayden threw the Black Box to Mia, whose training apparently paid off, because she was actually able to wound Serrator. He retreated, but it was faked and that was when he struck down the others. That was when it happened.

Afterwards, when Serrator put out his cheerleading Moogers, Emily couldn't find herself to take the Black Box. She let Antonio hold onto it, firmly believing that she had to earn it, and instead she took the Bull Disk and let Antonio pilot the Clawzord. Even though she was the next one to pilot the Bullzord, she couldn't help but feel…neglected in some way.

Even though Mia had saved them, not even when the Pink Ranger returned seventeen months, Emily couldn't bring herself to thank her, knowing that Mia would always be the first in line, always the one that the boys were after. Even though Emily knew perfectly well that she was the one who was currently on top, she couldn't help but feel neglected.

First, it was Serena's shadow, and then it was Mia's.

But she still needed to know. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so weak every time one of the others remembered something?

~S-A~M-U~R-A~I-~F-O~R-E~V-E~R-

On the last day of that two week period, Emily had gotten up and noticed that she was at least five minutes late to practice. She had slept in again. She guessed that it was from all the hard work that the others had forced upon her.

Quickly getting dressed, she went to the side door, not wanting Jii to know she was late for training, but she heard something interesting, so she paused right outside the doorway, on the side of the inside of the house. She paused and she listened. What she heard went something like this:

"I can't help but be amazed that Emily's pulled through for us, for fifteen months," was Mia's phrase, and the first line that she heard. Emily softly smiled, proud that they were amazed. "_All_ by herself, just the two of you."

"She can be tough when it counts," was Antonio's response. "You guys just don't notice it." This made her smile widen. Then, his voice softened and it got quiet, "But…she cried, you know. She cried the night it happened, the night you guys disappeared off the bat, without a trace. After the concert, backstage, she hugged me like there was no tomorrow, like that day was her last day. She was afraid that _I_ would disappear too, just like you guys. You guys may think that she's your rock, but where does _she_ get her true strength from? I mean, it's gotta come from somewhere." There was no answer, but there was a short pause. "Her true strength actually comes from _us_. We hold her steady and in return, she keeps our feet on the ground. She can't survive without us, guys. You guys leaving nearly killed her. If it hadn't been for Mentor and I, she probably _would_ have died."

"And now I feel bad," Kevin said, sadly, probably placing himself in Emily's shoes.

"Yeah," was Mia's response to this, "I had no idea that us leaving would affect her that badly." Emily's smile started slowly disappearing.

"Nah, don't feel bad," Antonio replied. "If any of you were in her place, you'd probably feel the same way."

None of them could deny that this was true.

"I'm guessing that you had to be her rock, huh, Antonio?" Mia said. Antonio must have nodded, because next came Jayden's first line in the entire conversation.

"How many times has she had to use the Black Box?" he asked.

"In those fifteen months…probably about–"

"Thirty-two," Antonio and Emily said simultaneously, Emily whispering, not wanting to give her position away yet.

"Thirty-two?!" Jayden repeated, sounding surprised. "Daisuke said that using the Black Box more than eight times in a row takes a serious toll on you."

"Maybe that's why she feels weak sometimes," Mike responded. "I mean it's obvious. She tries to hide it, but we can all see it anyways."

"Really?" came Mia's answer. "You think so? I always thought it was from working too hard."

She heard Antonio mumble something, but couldn't quite make it out. However, the others didn't seem to notice because none of them asked what he had said.

"Either way," came Kevin, "at the next Nighlock attack, someone else should use the Black Box, to ease her pain." The others all agreed. Emily faintly smiled. Their concern was sweet.

"That's not possible," Antonio spoke up, finally. Emiy heard silence after this, which clearly asked _'Why is that?'_ He continued. "Emily's symbol power is more dominant than the others. As of right now, Emily's the only one who can use the Black Box with little to no side affects."

Mia spoke up next. "Antonio, what's wrong? You seem a little on edge." Emily realizes that Mia was right. Judging by Antonio's voice, he seemed a little impatient.

"She's right," Jayden stated. "What do you know, Antonio, that we don't?"

There was a very awkward, intense silence. Antonio finally cracked. "Emily used her own symbol power to program the Black Box like a beacon. Every time she uses it, it sends out a signal to you four, telling you to come back."

"But why so glum?" Mike asked, unable to ignore the fact that it was a brilliant plan. The others agreed with him, all the way, for both situations.

"You don't get it, do you?" Antonio sounded really mad, really emotional, like he was about to bawl like a baby. "Emily used _her own life force_ to bring you guys back! Every time you guys remember something or anything related to that situation, her life is being edged away!"

Emily couldn't speak. She reached up a hand to her mouth to cover it, in complete shock.

"What?!" Mia was the first to respond. "She sacrificed her life for us?!"

"Why?" Mike asked, unable to believe it. Saying it out loud was like admitting it was true.

"Ask her, not me," Antonio replied. "Her reasons are all her own. And before you ask, yes, she knew of the risks."

"And she went with it anyways," Kevin said, solemnly.

"And no, it was not my idea," Antonio continued, as if Kevin had never spoke. "It was _hers_."

"Antonio…" Jayden softly said.

"It should be me who's dying! Emily doesn't deserve this!"

Emily couldn't take it anymore. She silently, without making a single sound, went back into the house, tears threatening to fall. Emily raced into the living room, where she knew where Jii would be.

"Emily, aren't you supposed to be training with the others?" he asked her.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"It's possible," Jii answered her. "Every Samurai takes that risk every day."

"No, Mentor, that's not what I–!"

She was cut off by a coughing fit. Kacing, she dropped to the floor, her knees nearly breaking upon impact. Her chest hurt, her lungs hurt, her stomach hurt, her entire body hurt all over, even her heart. She was broken, she knew that. First emotionally, but now physically as well. She felt a warm hand on her back, and she was certain it was Jii.

She hoped it was Jii.

Out of the blue, she coughed so hard, her throat hurt. She coughed one last time into her hand and she finally stopped. She shakily held her hand out to look at it. What she got was a huge surprise.

Blood…

Crimson blood was all over her hand and even dripping from her mouth.

Emily stared her hand, fear, terror, and horror highly evident in her hazel eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. She was too shocked to speak.

She heard footsteps beside her. Jii kneeled beside her and started wiping her face with a washcloth, muttering, "I was afraid this would happen." Once he finished on her face, he went to clean up her hand. The white washcloth was quickly turning a very light red. As he was working, one thing became very clear to her: She was dying.

And there was no stopping it. There was nothing she could do.

The Gap Sensor at that moment chose a bad time to go off.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: Well? What do you think of it, so far? Any questions? Feel free to ask.

_So now you guys know what's wrong with Emily. Any comments? Thoughts? Feelings? I'm free to answer questions about it. Just review and/or PM me._

Also, I'm thinking about writing a story based on Emily's "neglected" feelings. Should I go for it?

**Major Question: How will the others react to Emily's new symptoms? And will Emily fight, even though she's deathly sick?**


	5. Chapter 5: Final Straw

A/N: How about quick recap of the previous chapters?

Fifteen months ago, the others mysteriously disappeared by the work of the evil Nighlock, Serrator. After a few rough months of being an incomplete team, they have all reassembled. But something has come up with Emily: her plan with the Black Box chooses now to backfire. How with the others react to her new condition?

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: Samurai, just the plot.

Note: There will be no pairings in here, just friendship and a bit of fluff (Jemily and Kia). Antonio and Emily fluff will only be sibling-like in this one. Yeah, it's one of those team-bonding stories. So, enjoy!

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

True Strength

Chapter 5: Final Straw

Jii tapped the table map just as the others ran into the living room from outside. Fortunately, Emily was already standing by the time the front door opened. They all gathered around the table to view the map.

"City Park," Jii said, "Emily, I highly suggest that you –" Emily snuck him a pleading look. He was about to suggest that she stay. She had just hacked up a storm of blood. Do you think that's any proof that she's fine? Yet, he changed his tone, "– lead this mission, to give the others time to get used to fighting again."

Emily nodded, secretly grateful that Jii had chosen not to say a single word about her new condition. She didn't want to worry her friends any more than they already were. And Antonio…she didn't want him to die by drowning in his guilt. She didn't want to add to it. She had to stay strong. Everyone was counting on her to succeed against this Nighlock, not just her teammates and her mentor, but the civilians also

When Emily saw the Nighlock, she flipped out her Samuraizer without second thought. Drawing her symbol, she morphed, not stopping for one second, the others following her lead, Antonio right behind her. She stopped when she was close enough to the Nighlock, morphed others beside her, her and Antonio in the middle.

"Hey, Nighlock!" She yelled to get its attention. It worked, because the Nighlock turned around, its arms full of wood, stone, and other such things. Emily paused. "What are you doing, Nighlock?"

"Eating!" the Nighlock said without second thought, as if was the most obvious thing in the world. "I, Skarf, command you to leave me along while I eat!"

"And cause misery in the human world?" Emily backfired. "I don't think so!"

"The only misery I'm going to cause is yours, Yellow Ranger!" Skarf shot back.

Clicking in her black power disk above her hilt, Emily unsheathed her sword and said, "Just try it, Big Mouth!"

Apparently, this was the cue for the Moogers to come out of hiding. A dozen of them stepped in front of Skarf, who laughed and said, "These Moogers will keep you busy! Bye-bye, Rangers!"

"Not so fast!" Emily turned to Antonio. "Antonio, come with me. The rest of you, take care of the Moogers, will you?" They all nodded in confirmation and ran toward their designated targets.

Antonio snuck a look at the others after about two or three minutes of him and Emily fighting Skarf. The Moogers were nearly gone. They were doing well. Antonio focused back on the fight at hand.

Emily blocked a strike from Skarf, who, in turn, struck her in the shoulder with one his razor-sharp hands. But she didn't give up. She kept on fighting, Antonio occasionally sneaking in an attack.

"Why can't you Rangers just let me eat in peace?!" Skarf cried out.

"Because you don't deserve it!" Emily had to duck in order to avoid another one of his attacks. His hand soared through the air until it hit some concrete. He munched on it.

Emily suddenly felt very weak, like she was going to pass out any minute. Her stomach churned at the sight of her bleeding shoulder, the Nighlock continuing to munch on whatever was nearby, even on the others coming to help her and Antonio fight the Nighlock. Her knees felt weak and she unwillingly gave in, sinking to her knees.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist. Emily immediately regained some of her strength as she looked up into the fire symbol-ed mask of Jayden Shiba, the others helping Antonio.

"It's okay, Emily," Jayden said. "That's why you have teammates to back you up."

Underneath her mask, Emily genuinely smiled, even though Jayden could not see it. Her determination reaching its highest peak once again, Emily allowed Jayden to assist her in standing up.

"Could you guys distract him for a few more seconds?" Emily asked Jayden. The latter nodded.

"Sure thing, Em," and off he went. Emily took out the Black Box. This thing was killing her, literally, but she couldn't hesitate. She had to.

"Super Samurai Mode!" The others and the Nighlock all turned towards the now Super Yellow Ranger when they heard this.

"W-Wow! You look awesome, Em!" Mia couldn't help but say.

"Yeah, totally 'super'," Mike said, giving her encouragement to continue the fight in Super Mode. Emily nodded and revealed something the others had not seen before.

"Woah! What is that?" Mia asked, struggling to keep a firm hold on Skarf's left arm, Mike holding the other.

Attaching her Super Spin Sword to it, Emily only responded with, "Super Bullzooka!" She placed the proper disk into the Black Box. "Bullzooka Disk Charge!" Then, she spun the Black Power Disk, the Super Bullzooka all charged up and ready to fire. "Watch out, guys!" she called out.

"No! Get that thing away from me!" Skarf cried, his stomach feeling full.

"Bullzooka Blast!" She pulled the trigger just as the others moved off to the side.

Skarf was no more.

Emily felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and she turned to see Mia.

"Great job! What was that? What did you just use?"

"The Bullzooka," she answered simply. "Cody made it."

"_Cody_ made that?" Mike repeated. "It packs quite a punch."

Emily didn't have time to agree with him. Skarf had just grown, but this time, his arms were as big as doors. He placed them together, creating a shield.

"Woah!" All six Rangers dove off to a side to avoid the blast.

"I get it now," Antonio exclaimed. "He was eating all that junk so that when we destroyed him, he'd come back like this."

"That shield of his is going to be hard to break through," Kevin said. "It looks so strong."

"There's only one way to find that out, Kev," Emily said, inserting the Union Disc into the Black Box. "Super Yellow Combination!"

"Claw Armor Megazord! We are united!"

The Claw Armor Megazord went forward, taking blasts from Skarf's shield along the way. Mia ducked as a piece of debris crashed down by her head.

Emily grunted at the shock of the blast, but she wouldn't stand down. "Ugh! Double Katana Strike!"

No luck. Skarf sent a jolt to the Megazord, causing the Rangers inside to loose their balance.

But they were Power Rangers. They would never give up.

"Emily!" Kevin suddenly exclaimed, successfully gaining said Ranger's attention. "We need to use the Bull Disk and form the Samurai Gigazord."

"Are you sure you want to risk it?" Mike immediately asked.

"If we don't use it properly…" Mia started.

"It could be bad news!" Antonio finished.

"It is a _huge_ risk, yes, but we have to try it!" Another jolt sent the Megazord gliding backwards through the streets.

"Kevin's right," Jayden said. "We don't have any other choice!"

Yet another jolt.

"Okay, Kevin," Emily cut in quietly. "We trust you." She opened the Black Box atop her Mega Blade. "Bull Disk!" She inserted the Disk. But she paused, her hands hovering over the lid of the Black Box.

"What are you waiting for?" She heard Mike ask.

She took a deep breath. That feeling when she was coughing was starting to come back. Oh, no… But she sucked it up. She could take any pain. "This is where all your research pays off, Kev…here goes nothing…"

Kevin went over to her stand. "Once we form the Gigazord, we'll be able to tap into the powers of _every_ single Zord we have. You can do this, Em. After thirteen months of being alone with only Antonio and Jii for company, you can do anything. Just believe in yourself. And have faith. We believe in you, Emily. Nothing can change that." And he took her hand and closed the Black Box for her. "Ready?"

Emily took one look at Kevin and her friends and nodded.

"Then go ahead, Em. Make the call," Kevin replied.

"Ultimate Samurai Combination!"

Emily tried with all her heart, mind, soul, and strength to keep the Zords in tact. There was a bright flash of rainbow-colored light. When is dissipated, they six Rangers were still standing.

"Samurai Gigazord! We are united!"

Emily glanced up into Kevin's masked face when he patted her on the back. "You did it, Em! I told you that you could do it!"

"Thank you, Kevin," Emily replied, tears forming in her eyes. "I couldn't have done it without you guys! Thank you!"

Mike sent her a thumbs-up. "No problem, Em. That's what friends are for. Now, this freaky-tiki is going down!"

"It's go time!"

Skarf sent more energy bolts at the Megazord, but they just bounced right off.

"Tiger Drill, charge!"

Skarf blocked it with his shield.

"Pincer Claws! Claw to shreds!"

Finally some damage. Skarf was caught off guard and his shield was down.

"Ultimate Samurai Slash!"

Skarf fell to the ground, only to get back up. In the Gigazord, Kevin had opened his sketchbook, skimmed through a couple of pages and then closed it.

"Now, all we have to do is use our symbol power and we can nail him once and for all!" Kevin announced.

"Ape-Folding-Zord!"

"Lion-Folding-Zord, Tiger Zord, Bullzord!"

"Dragon-Folding-Zord, Swordfish Zord!"

"Bear-Folding-Zord, Beetle Zord!"

"Turtle-Folding-Zord!"

"Octozord, Clawzord!"

"Symbol Power: Ultimate Combination!"

Emily revealed another disk. "Since he's so tough, I saw we amp it up a bit! Shogun Mode, Power of the Ancestors!" Emily pointed her Super Mega Blade at Skarf. "Let's show that creep who's boss! Rangers together, Samurai forever! Shogun Ranger, fire!"

"Symbol Power: Mega Strike!"

And Skarf saw no more.

Inside the cockpit, upon the explosion, Mike asked, "Did that really just happen?" Antonio nodded and gave the Green Ranger a high-five.

"We did it!"

Emily heard the others celebrating and cheering, like today was their last day to live, like there was no tomorrow, but she felt herself swaying on her feet. That coughing feeling was coming back.

The others turned to her as she unwillingly powered back down to Super Mega Mode, leaning heavily against her stand.

She could barely hear Mia ask her if she was okay. Emily couldn't respond. Her violently shaking body was preventing her from doing so, from giving a legitimate answer. Then, without warning, all sound was blocked from her ears as she felt her lungs and her chest tighten up and begin to ache, and the coughing started up again.

This was absolute hell, if she hadn't seen it already.

She, mentally, repeatedly apologized to the others for ruining the victory. Powering down unwillingly, she collapsed to the floor of the Gigazord cockpit, the Black Box still hooked to her Sword. Her hands immediately pressed up against her chest, as it trying to tear it open to get something out as she continued to cough and hack harshly.

Right as she vaguely felt hand on her shoulder and presences all around her, the blood came, as did the tears.

It took her a while to stop coughing, but her tears never stopped. It took her a while to regain her hearing and the rest of her senses, but she couldn't stop crying.

The pain in her chest wouldn't subside either.

"-ily…Em-…Em-ly…Emily, Emily!" She finally took a second to glance over at who was speaking to her, and she saw Antonio's face.

No, not his mask. His actual face.

Behind him, around him, the others had powered down as well. When Emily saw this, she was able to burst forth a small, weak smile.

They had powered down for her, so she wouldn't feel weak, weaker than the others, so she wouldn't see them as stronger. All six of them were on the same field, on the same level.

Unfortunately, their five faces were the last things she saw that day. All she could remember was them calling out her name as her world went black. All she could remember was saying two words before she completely passed out.

"I'm sorry…"

With tears pouring down her face.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: The others now finally know what Emily's condition is. What do you think of it, so far? Any questions? Feel free to ask.

_Any comments? Thoughts? Feelings? I'm free to answer questions about it. Just review and/or PM me._

**Major Question: What is your prediction? What do you think will happen next?**


	6. Chapter 6: Family Bonds

A/N: How about quick recap of the previous chapters?

Fifteen months ago, the others mysteriously disappeared by the work of the evil Nighlock, Serrator. After a few rough months of being an incomplete team, they have all reassembled. But something has come up with Emily: her plan with the Black Box chooses now to backfire, and because of Skarf's ferocious attack, now the others know about it as well.

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: Samurai, just the plot.

Note: There will be no pairings in here, just friendship and a bit of fluff (Jemily and Kia). Antonio and Emily fluff will only be sibling-like in this one. Yeah, it's one of those team-bonding stories. So, enjoy!

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

True Strength

Chapter 6: Family Bonds

All she can see is darkness. She's in an abyss, nothing. She is nobody. She is nowhere. She is nothing.

But she can see light, and soon the darkness becomes a multitude of colors, which is blurry at first, but as the seconds turn into minutes, they become clearer.

The last thing she remembers is successfully forming the Samurai Gigazord. Her mind then wanders to her forced power-down from Shogun into Super Mega Mode. This is when she remembers why she passed out at all.

And then the pain returns and she is unable to suppress a gasp and her hands fly to her chest, looking as if she's trying to tear it open. What she feels, though, is entirely different.

"Emily?"

And, for some odd reason that she can't explain, the pain slowly subsides.

She feels herself coughing before answering in a raspy voice, "I'm…so sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" Now she knows who is talking. It is Antonio, the one who feels the most guilt by this whole ordeal.

"For being," cough, cough, "so weak…"

Now she hears a different voice. It's female, kind and gentle, and she's realizes that it's Mia. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Emily. You did just fine."

She can see Antonio and Mia sitting on her left, Mike on her right, and Jii, Jayden, and Kevin in the near background.

She ignores Mia's comment. "You guys…all stayed here? For me?" Cough, cough. "Have any of you had any sleep at all?"

She is oddly touched by this.

"Despite what you may think, Em," Jayden speaks, "we did get sleep. We've been taking turns watching over you."

Emily feels a tear slide down her cheek.

Mike talks next, "Don't worry, Em. We'll save you. We will find a way to get you and the Black Box back to normal."

"You can count on us, Em," Kevin adds, and Emily is mildly surprised, as Kevin is usually quiet.

She feels her smile. They are all determined to save her, to find a way to get everything back to normal, but her smile disappears as soon as if comes. She is beginning to feel her world become darker once more, the colors dulling, and her body getting heavier. The more she coughs, the more her chest pain grows.

She's leaving them again. She's leaving her friends all alone again. She can't stand it, and she cries harder when she realizes that she's powerless to stop it.

She vaguely sees Jayden move from the background to right next to Mike, next to her. Mike glances at him before turning back to face her.

"Don't give up, Em," Jayden says, softly, gently, which is unusual for him. "You're not that kind of person. You're the type of girl, forget Samurai, who never lets anything, big or small, get her down. Emily…you can beat this. And we'll help, alright? Just hang in there a while longer. For us."

Emily doesn't smile, but she takes his words to heart. But she says, "I'm fine, Jay…" cough, cough, "I'm just fine…"

Jayden's fading smile is the last thing she sees.

The next time she wakes up, she feels strange, disembodied, like she's only a spirit.

Looking in the mirror and not seeing her refection staring back at her, she realizes that she _is_ just a spirit.

She walks out of the recovery, where her body is still there, resting, sleeping, out cold. As she walks around the House, she starts to wonder where her friends are. Hearing voices in the kitchen, she goes to check it out, phasing through the kitchen door without any hassle, and she finds her friends and Mentor on the other side, discussing something really important, something about _her_.

"We will save Emily," Mike is saying. "We have to."

"That's a great goal, Mike," Kevin replies, "but we only have one problem. We don't know _how_…"

"All we have to do is repair the Black Box," Mia says, as if the answer is obvious.

"We have no idea how to do that," Antonio speaks, his voice heavily stained with emotion. Emily can practically feel the guilt radiating from his body.

"So, basically…we have nothing…" Mike sums it up. It is at this point when Emily realizes that neither Jayden nor Mentor has spoken. She looks at Mentor, and he seems to be in deep thought. But when she looks at Jayden, she gets the shock of her life.

She can see tears in his eyes. Some of them have fallen already, some are falling as they all stood there, and some have yet to fall. Emily looks back at Mike and sees unshed tears in his eyes too.

'_It's not your fault, Antonio…'_ she says aloud, but they do not hear her_. 'Do you hear me?! It's not anyone's fault but mine! I'm the one who brought up the idea. I'm the one who agreed to go along with it, even with the warnings Daisuke gave us.'_ Emily calms down, and breathes deeply, and then she speaks again, this time, softer, _'I don't know if this is heaven…I don't know if I have died already, but…I love you…I love you all. Mentor, you'll find my diary in the bottom drawer of my dresser. Take the locket around the bedpost near my pillow, away from the wall, and open up the locket. That is the key to opening the diary. Turn to the fifth page. That is my will. You guys are all my very first friends outside of family. I was always a loner, never made the best grades in school, was the least popular student in the playground. Life there helped prepare me for life here, with you wonderful people. So…thank you…all of you…If you turn to page 10 of my diary, you'll find some notes of mine. To be honest, once Serena got sick, I never stopped searching for a cure, not even when I came here. I always searched for a cure to Serena's illness. Page 10 in my diary is the notes to all the possible cures I found. Again, thank you all for everything. I love you.'_

Thus was the Yellow Ranger's speech. Too bad no one could hear it.

"Why are you giving up so easily?" Emily turns around to see nothing but darkness and a lone figure, someone very familiar.

"D-Daisuke?" She asks. The said Tengen Gate keeper nods. "How did you get here? How did I get here?"

"I'll answer your second question first," he tells her. "Your body can no longer sustain you and give you the nutrients and all that you need to survive in that body."

"So I am dead," Emily says.

"I did not say that," he continues. "Because of the fact that you are _dying_, not dead, your heart, your spirit, is calling out for help. It is crying out for help so you can be with your friends in this time of deep distress for them. That being said, your spirit has left your body because the latter does not have enough power for you to physically be with your friends at the moment, so it has reverted to you being with your friends spiritually."

"How do you know this?"

"Gatekeepers of the Tengen Gate also have Symbol Power, not just you Samurai and the Guardian Family of the Bullzord."

"You know about Cody?"

"We Samurai and allies of Samurai keep in touch every so often, just not in the way you think." Emily buys that. "Anyways, the Gatekeepers' Symbol Power is of spirit, love, life, light, and most of all, healing, and that is how I am talking to you now."

"Why are you here? What did you come for?"

"I can feel your emotions, Yellow Ranger," Daisuke says, "and your body is crying out for mercy, however long your spirit may endure the pain. This has been going on for a while now, but merely for your friends' sakes, you have refused to let the pain show for them. Only until you are physically exhausted have you passed out, unable to carry on, even going as far as coughing up blood. My advice to you now is to take the Black Box and yourself to the Tengen Gate. There, I will advise you on what to do next."

"But…Jii said that I'm too sick to go anywhere!" Emily gets out, speechless by Daisuke's words.

"Has that ever stopped you before?" Emily pauses. "In fact, has anything ever stopped you?" Daisuke paused before continuing. "When your sister got severely ill, you willingly took up the dangerous position as the Yellow Ranger. Agains the Nighlock Scorponic, you got back up continued to fight, also encouraging your other teammates to do the same, despite your injuries and the fact that your leader may have disappointed in you at the time. Against the Nighlock Dreadhead, against whom none of yours weapons could graze him, you once again encouraged the others to fight, to find a way to lay a single blow on him, and also, unknowingly to you, encouraging your leader to completely master the Beetle Disk. It was your words that encouraged them to keep fighting. Against Negatron, you completely ignored his insults, letting the others gain the advantage against him. Despite your severe injuries against Robtish's Double Slash, you came back in fighting form the very next day. When Splitface stole your soul, you woke up. That alone takes up a lot of will power, forget Symbol Power, to do. Not only that, but you also tried to stay awake as long as possible. Once again, you did it for your friends. When your friend Antonio was working on completing the Black Box, despite the fact that you were about to go into battle, you were the first one to give your Power Disk to him. When you were sealing up those pools of Sanzu River water, despite your dying strength that day, you still pushed yourself to make sure that all of the pools were covered. You showed incredible patience while watching the others use the Black Box and you being the last one to use the said object. Last, but most of all, despite what you knew that which the Black Box would do to you, you continued to use it as a calling beacon, even pushing yourself over your own personal limits, forget being a Samurai, to make sure they all came back safely. And even now, when you're reduced to this, to nothing, you still continue to fight. That is the true definition of strength. That is _true strength_." He pauses for quite a long time, until he softly says, "Now, Emily. Take the Black Box to the Tengen Gate. Once you are there, I will explain everything else to you."

Emily says nothing, speechless, as Daisuke fades away, but his words do not.

That midnight, taking the old Gatekeeper's words to heart, despite the condition her body is in, still coughing up blood and heavily fatigued, Emily limps toward the front door, the Black Box in her hand. Still in her pajamas, her slippers on her feet, she slowly trudges to the door, not letting anything stop her.

Not even the note she left on the kitchen counter, which the others will find in the morning.

She knows that what she is doing is cruel to the others, to her friends…

No, not friends…

Her _family_. She know that it's mean to leave them like this, but what she is doing is for them. No more guilt for Antonio, for any of them. No more pain, no more suffering.

And she knows that once Jayden reads the letter she left behind, he will understand, as will Mentor Jii.

And she has faith that the others will hold up for her until Daisuke gives them official news about her condition.

And she knows that Daisuke will help her through it all.

Having reached the front gate, Emily turns around. "I'm sorry…you guys…but this is for you…I'll see you all later."

And the Shiba House was left one Ranger short that night.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

I also call this chapter _**"The top reasons that Emily is not weak or useless"**_ chapter.

A/N: What do you think of it, so far? Any questions? Feel free to ask.

_Any comments? Thoughts? Feelings? I'm free to answer questions about it. Just review and/or PM me._

**Major Question: What will happen at the Tengen Gate?**


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